Pensamento Judaico sobre Gênesis 1:16

Scripture’s description of both the sun and the moon as “great” can be explained according to the words of R. Avraham ibn Ezra:²See Ibn Ezra’s commentary to Bereishis 1:16. If one will ask: The astronomers have stated that the planet Tzedek³Tzedek is the name with which the Sages refer to the planet Jupiter. Tzedek means “righteousness.” The Sages referred to Jupiter as Tzedek, because in many pagan systems of mythology, this planet was identified with their primary false deity whom the pagans believed was the source for righteousness and justice. and indeed, all the planets and stars aside from Kochav and Nogah⁴Kochav, “planet” (or “star”) and Nogah (“brilliance”) are the names with which the Sages refer to the planets Mercury and Venus respectively. are larger than the moon, why then are they both described as “great”? In resolution: The term “great” does not refer to the size of the planets, but to their light. The light reflected by the moon is much greater than the light of the other planets and stars because it is much closer to the earth. This is also indicated by the term Scripture uses to refer to them: “luminaries.”⁵I.e., by referring to both the sun and the moon as “great luminaries”, the Torah is emphasizing their light, not their size.

Gur Aryeh writes concerning this issue:⁵Gur Aryeh, Bereishis 1:16. There are those⁶Gur Aryeh is referring to the comments of Ibn Ezra cited previously. who raise questions regarding our Sages’ words, for the verse can be understood according to its simple meaning. The sun and the moon are described as “the two great luminaries,” because they are both great in comparison to the other celestial beings. Even so, the sun is referred to as “the great luminary,” because it is great in comparison to the moon. These scholars did not know the words of the Sages, for the wording of the verse indicates that the sun and moon were created at the same time, as it is written, “And He made… the great luminaries.” Now, since they are not identical – one is “the great luminary” and one, “the small luminary” – how could they have been created at the same time? For created beings that are different from each other were brought into being at different times. How then was it possible for “the great luminary” and “the small luminary” to be created at the same time? This is the true interpretation of the matter.

And in Parshas Pinchas, Gur Aryeh writes:⁷Gur Aryeh, Bamidbar 28:15. Rav Abraham ibn Ezra sought to interpret the matter cleverly and explain that he did not see any difficulty in these verses (i.e., the apparent contradiction raised by the author of the passage mentioned does not present any difficulty for Rav Avraham ibn Ezra), for the intent of the phrase “the two great luminaries” is that they appear greater than the other stars. Nevertheless, the moon can aptly be called “the small luminary” when compared to the sun. These words are mere prattle. Our Sages⁸I.e., the Sages who debated the subject in Chulin 60b. could also have offered such an interpretation. As we already explained in the beginning of Bereishis, such an interpretation should not be offered, since the sun and the moon were created at one time, and it is not befitting that two utterly different entities – one being described as “great” and one as “small” – be created at the same time, for they are opposites. Throughout the Creation, when entities were created together, they were equal. We are compelled to say that the verse, “And God made… the two great luminaries” implies that the sun and the moon] were created as equals, because they were created at the same time.